NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A South Florida auto business owner is asking the couple who, he said, was riding in a car that slammed into a row of his vintage vehicles to come forward about their involvement in the crash that has set him back tens of thousands of dollars.
Surveillance video captured a Mazda sedan as it spun off the southbound lanes of Interstate 95 in Northwest Miami-Dade, plowed through a fence and careened into the old but pricey cars, at around 3 a.m., Sunday.
Ted Vernon, the owner of Ted Vernon Auto Specialties at 8301 NW 7th Ave., spoke about the crash on Monday.
“They just came right through the fence — you can see the skid marks — right through the fence and smashed in here like it was nothing,” he said.
Vernon estimates the hit he’s taking at about $25,000.
“The good thing is, I’ve got the whole thing on film, so I’ve got him clear. I’ve got his girlfriend clear. I’ve got the whole thing clear,” he said.
Vernon said the driver and passenger were on the property about 35 minutes before they hopped into another vehicle and took off.
The business owner said he alerted police Monday morning. Hours later, he received a call from a woman who wanted to retrieve her car.
“So she would like to come over,” he said.
Vernon said the woman told him she was the one driving the Mazda when it crashed, but the video tells another story.
“No, you were not,” he said.
The woman agreed to go to the business to explain and meet with police. She later called back and said she would come on Tuesday.
If she doesn’t show, Vernon said, he is still confident the couple will be caught, because even though this is the third time someone has crashed into the part of his business that faces I-95, it is the first time he’s got a clear shot of the driver responsible.
“This is the first time I got it on film, ’cause I got this guy on film,” he said. “It’s just a shame that when you try to make a living things like this happen, and you get screwed over. You don’t get paid, things happen, cars get ruined. It just sucks that this would happen.”
If you have any information on this crash or recognize the couple in the surveillance video, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
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